This week Washington lawmakers took up the historical
debate on the Federal Marriage Amendment. But the good Senators appear
to be blissfully unaware of the trend that overshadows the controversies
surrounding gay marriage -- the fact that millions of American men
are marital no-shows.

Stripped down to its bare essentials, marriage
is an enduring social contract between a consenting man and woman.
Before they agree to enter into this sacred union, both parties
must have the expectation of benefit. But the disturbing fact is,
millions of American men have come to believe that marriage is a
losing proposition.

News of the Marriage Strike first began to
settle into our national consciousness in 2002. That year Barbara
Dafoe Whitehead and David Popenoe of Rutgers University interviewed
60 men to probe their attitudes about marriage. And to their surprise,
they discovered that some of these men were flat-out opposed to
tying the knot. [Read]

So this year, the Rutgers researchers decided
to launch a full-scale national survey of single heterosexual men,
ages 25-34. These men represent almost 10 million of the nation’s
most eligible bachelors. The
report was just released last month.

Among those men, 53% said they were not interested
in getting married anytime soon – the marriage delayers. That figure
alone is cause for concern.

But this is the statistic that every American
who wants to strengthen and protect marriage should be worried about:
22% of the men said they had absolutely no interest in finding their
Truly Beloved. The report described these guys as “hardcore marriage
avoiders.”

When almost one-quarter of single men in their
prime courting years – that’s two million potential husbands – declare
a Marriage Strike, we’re facing an unprecedented social crisis.

Why are these men refusing to marry? Some
of their reasons are spelled out in the 2002 report:

- “Some men express resentment towards a legal
system that grants women the unilateral right to decide to terminate
a pregnancy…There is also a mistrust of women who may ‘trap’ men
into fathering a child by claiming to be sterilized, infertile or
on the pill.”

- "Many men also fear the financial consequences
of divorce…They fear that an ex-wife will 'take you for all you've
got' and that 'men have more to lose financially than women' from
a divorce."

Men’s fear of financial ruin following divorce
is backed by research. In
a soon-to-be-released book, Sanford Braver, PhD of Arizona
State University notes that noncustodial fathers often spend considerable
money when they are with their kids. But the child support guidelines
don’t take this into account.

Plus, the custodial mother reaps a number
of tax benefits, such as being able to list the kids as exemptions
on her IRS return. Likewise, the mother does not pay any taxes on
her child support income, while the father cannot list these payments
as deductions. As a result, Braver suggests that the “guidelines
have already become too generous” to the point that the father experiences
a standard of living that is lower than his ex-wife.

Men have other reasons to resist the romantic
urge. Domestic violence laws allow vindictive women to kick hubby
out of the house based on the flimsiest of pretexts. And if divorce
were to result, he would likely lose custody of his own flesh and
blood.

Four decades ago, radical feminists, taking
their cue from Marxist-Leninist theory, decreed that marriage was
nothing more than gender slavery. Claiming to speak on behalf of
American women, feminists set out to radically rework – or even
do away with -- the age-old social contract of marriage. And women,
mesmerized by the ephemeral promise of liberation and empowerment,
opted to go along for the ride.

Now, feminists are succeeding beyond their
wildest dreams. And women are left to wonder why their Prince Charming
is nowhere to be found.

Carey Roberts is an analyst and commentator on
political correctness. His best-known work was an exposé on Marxism and
radical feminism. Mr. Roberts’ work has been cited on the Rush Limbaugh
show.

Besides serving as a regular contributor to NewsWithViews.com,
he has published in The Washington Times, LewRockwell.com, RenewAmerica.us,
ifeminists.net, Men’s News Daily, eco.freedom.org, The Federal Observer,
Opinion Editorials, and The Right Report.

Previously, he served on active duty in the Army,
was a professor of psychology, and was a citizen-lobbyist in the US Congress.
In his spare time he admires Norman Rockwell paintings, collects antiques,
and is an avid soccer fan. He now works as an independent researcher and
consultant.